You're Invited to the Star 100 New York Holiday Party - December 10, 7-10:30p

Stars, let's have some fun and raise some FUNDS for a worthy Ghanaian charity!

On Saturday December 10th, please join us for an end of year celebration complete with delicious bites courtesy of Tropical Ghana, Afro beats provided by DJ Zuko, and drinks courtesy of Belvedere. You can also win a roundtrip ticket to Africa on Arik Air!

Buy your ticket now by clicking the "Donate" button above and submitting your secure payment of $50!

Meet the Finalist: LEUKAEMIA PROJECT FOUNDATION, CO-FOUNDED BY PETER OSEI TUTU

The Leukaemia Project Foundation, co-founded by Peter Osei Tutu, is a finalist to receive funds raised from the annual Star 100 fundraiser.

STAR 100 NEW YORK: Who founded the Leukaemia Project Foundation and when?
LEUKAEMIA PROJECT FOUNDATION: The foundation was initially formed in 2008 by a leukaemia survivor and two doctors at the Korle-Bu teaching hospital in Ghana. In February 2011 it merged with my foundation, The Keith Agyepong Leukaemia Trust to put resources together and meet the same goals.


*100: What inspired you to start LPF?
LPF: The foundation was set up to give a chance to people living with blood cancers as well as haematological diseases such as sickle cell disease to receive comprehensive treatment locally at a cost much lower than what is currently being offered in centers in UK, USA or South Africa. Patients currently receiving treatment for blood cancers in Ghana are limited to
treatment available which in a significant number of cases is not comprehensive with resultant low survival rate,and so we felt it was time to change the outlook of blood diseases in Ghana and the sub region.

*100: What is LPF's mission?
LPF: Based on the realization that Leukaemia and other haematological neoplasm have attained debilitating proportions in Ghana and convinced that, we can in our individual and institutional capacities collectively contribute positively to halting this challenging and tragic malignancy, the Leukaemia Foundation has - as a private initiative - committed itself to
mobilizing resources to help in the education for the prevention as well as the care and cure of Ghanaians living with leukaemia, lymphoma and related blood disorders.

From raising funds, to creating awareness, to scientific advances, our goal is to save each and every life. Here’'s what we’re trying to do:

a. The foremost objective of the foundation is to mobilize resources for the construction and management of the Leukaemia Cancer Center in Korle-Bu to be named Ghana Center for Haematology and Clinical Genetics”, which the management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital have generously provided land for. The proposed Ghana Center for Haematology and Clinical Genetics
will [include]:

Routine, special and tissue-typing Laboratories comprising the following:

- Main eight rooms with separate blood transfusion wing, HLA laboratory, Bleeding/Pheresis Room, Serology Laboratory, Blood Bank Fridges special and tissue-typing
- Clean Laboratory with bacteriology unit, microflow, air filter for stem cell preparations and to allow storage with liquid nitrogen
- Research Laboratory with Flow Cytometer, Fluorescent microscope, and appropriate storage facilities
- Teaching Laboratory with Hydraheaded microscopes, camera attachment and ICT connection.
- Day Care Wing providing 10 beds, drugs room, nurses room, washrooms, and records room
- General wards to accommodate 18 males and 18 females and high dependency ward to accommodate four beds
- Outpatient department (OPD) housing five suites and a small lab with mini coulter
- Bone marrow registry
- Faculty Practice Wing
- ICT will be deployed as an enabler to record, retrieve, analyze and share information on patients. The ICT infrastructure to be deployed will comprise:
- 20 computers with internet connectivity
- Software for entering all patient information and photographs on first attendance and
subsequent updates
- Patients’ data to be retrievable on computer at OPD suit i.e. laboratory information, drug
information, etc.
- Link to Cancer Register
- Offices for Consultants and Unit Administration


b.Support and implement successful evidence based community practices that provide awareness of leukaemia with the view to reducing the burden of leukaemia in Ghana, through behavioral community change and effective environmental and industrial management

c.Sponsor fellowships and scholarships programmes aimed at encouraging talented young scientists, medical graduates and researchers to pursue careers in basic, applied or translational research to find better cures and better ways to care for patients and families living with haematological malignancies

d.Support capacity building and enhance the viability of institutions and individuals involved in the vital research into the causes, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment, psychological impact and ultimately cures for leukaemia, lymphomas, myeloma and related blood disorders

e.Encourage excellence in Leukaemia prevention and treatment initiatives by rewarding individuals and institutions that have accomplished remarkable results in prevention and treatment programmes.

*100: What have been the greatest challenges to accomplishing LPF's mission?
LPF: We would say we are still crawling but if corporate bodies will come on board that would help us achieve a goal of finishing the building in two years a reality.

*100: What is your vision for LPF's future?
LPF: Our vision is to see Ghana as one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to have a cancer and genetic research center, which we hope to have in two years.

VOTE: Which Finalist Charity Should the Fundraiser Benefit?

Stars, the five finalist charities are in! Scroll below for more info on each organization and cast your vote!

Last month we asked you to nominate a worthy organization working to benefit Ghanaians, and we were thrilled to receive close to 20 nominations! It's so exciting to discover how many different groups are doing good in and for Ghana.

Upon careful review of each nomination, we've cast our votes as Board Members to narrow the list down to these five finalists: The Leukaemia Project Foundation, OrphanAID Africa, The Rescue Foundation Ghana, Princess Umul Hattiyya Foundation, and Rural Communities Empowerment Center.

THE LEUKAEMIA PROJECT FOUNDATION
Leukaemia and other haematological neoplasm have attained debilitating proportions in Ghana. Convinced that we can, in our individual and institutional capacities, collectively contribute positively to halting this malignancy, The Leukaemia Project Foundation has committed itself to mobilizing resources to help educate for risk prevention, and
care for and cure Ghanaians living with leukaemia, lymphoma, and other related blood disorders. The foremost objective of the foundation is to mobilize resources for the construction and management of the Leukaemia Cancer Center in Korle Bu to be named “Ghana Center for Haematology and Clinical Genetics.”


ORPHANAID AFRICA
OrphanAid Africa (OA) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that supports orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana to ensure they grow up in a safe and permanent family setting, as opposed to getting lost in the orphanage system. They are the only NGO to be named an implementing partner with the Government of Ghana's National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, which seeks to transform the system from institutional care to family-based care by 2015. Over 80% of the orphans in Ghana have family nearby, but due to the burden of poverty and disease, families find it difficult to care for their children. OrphanAid Africa believes that poverty and ill health are not reasons for separating children from their families. They provide the most vulnerable families with basic needs such as food, clothing, safe housing, education and job training so that they can care for their own children--with the end-goal to eventually become autonomous. As of today, 459 children, once living in orphanages, have been resettled with their families or in foster care. Their programs will help the nearly 4,000 children currently living in institutions across Ghana transition smoothly into family-based care by 2015.


THE RESCUE FOUNDATION GHANA
Rescue Foundation Ghana is a non-governmental organization whose main aim is to: 1)Raise funds to support integrated projects and activities at the community level using Participatory Learning and Action techniques, and Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques, and 2)Advocate at the national level policies, legislation, and programs that will protect vulnerable women and children in Ghana through health prevention, education, employable skills, income generating activities, and the elimination of child labor and human trafficking.


PRINCESS UMUL HATTIYYA FOUNDATION
Princess Umul Hatiyya Foundation is a registered non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to improving access to education for the less privileged. The Princess Umul Hatiyya Foundation is run by accomplished individuals who are passionate about unleashing the full human potential for accelerated development and to give every needy child a fair chance to contribute to their nation's development. Only one in every two children in Africa is enrolled in Primary Education; large numbers attend schools that have no classrooms, no teachers, scarce learning materials, etc. In spite of good intentions, government is unable to provide adequate levels of educational facilities across all communities in the country. Hence, the focus of the Princess Umul Hatiyya Foundation to launch a crusade to solicit private/public sector support to increase access to Education for the less privileged. Click here to view the brochure.


RURAL COMMUNITIES EMPOWERMENT CENTER
When Philomena Amoako dreamed up the idea at her dining room table, to build a resource center outside her childhood home in Apirede Ghana, no one could have predicted how special the project would become, and how many lives would be affected. Rural Communities Empowerment Center (RCEC), a non-profit organization based in Ghana has changed thousands of lives. Conceived through the ingenuity, drive and passion of Philomena as a tribute to her parents, today two empowerment centers now stand as a testament to funding from such notable organizations as the World Bank, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to list a few. Schoolchildren, adolescent school girls, and women are the main beneficiaries of the center whose goal is to provide its users with four core services: library, information and communication technology, children's facilities, tailoring training. The centers are built on the motto that it "Takes One Community at a Time.” Currently two centers are operating: Apirede Community Resource Center, and the ICT training center in Jumapo, RCEC’s second Resource Center).

Cast your vote now, and mobilize your network to support your choice. Email the link to this blog post or Facebook/Tweet it!

Don't forget to watch Facebook.com/Star100NewYork for news on the upcoming fundraiser. If you're not a member and want an invitation, email star100network.us@gmail.com to get on the list!